The Mt. SAC Women's Volleyball Team delivered a remarkable performance during their opening weekend, sweeping through all three matches. Their impressive start included a win against Citrus College on August 23 and victories over Bakersfield and Santa Barbara on August 24 at the Bakersfield Quad Tournament. The team showcased their skill and versatility, securing a perfect 3-0 record in each match and remaining undefeated in both sets and overall matches.
Head Coach Samantha Neely was thrilled with the team's start to the season, commenting, "This was a great first weekend of competition. We got our nerves out of the way in Friday's match and really found our rhythm as a team in Saturday's matches." The energy was palpable on both the court and the bench as the players cheered and encouraged each other, enhancing the intensity of the games.
The winning streak began on Friday against Citrus College where the Mounties triumphed over the Owls in straight sets. Every player on the active roster contributed to the win, with the exception of freshman outside hitter Kacey Worcester, who is still recovering from an injury. Coach Neely noted, "It was great to see every player be a difference maker when their opportunity arose; it showed our depth and talent as a team."
Coach Neely emphasized their teamwork saying, "Seeing the strong team chemistry this early in the season is exciting. We really care about the success of the team and are here to play for each other over any one individual, and that showed on the court this weekend." The team effectively executed their game plan, limiting the scoring opportunities of their opponents, Bakersfield and Santa Barbara, both of whom are respectable squads.
A standout moment from the Bakersfield Quad Tournament occurred when Mt. SAC overcame a slow start against Bakersfield. Down 21-24 in the first set, the team rallied to win 27-25, with outside hitter Trinity Gonzales contributing crucial kills and setter Eva Becerra serving an ace to get the team back in the game. "Overall, I am really pleased with our start, and I am excited to continue building upon our potential," Neely reflected after the weekend. "The display of resilience to overcome that deficit fueled the team for the rest of the Bakersfield match and the subsequent Santa Barbara City College match."
Top performers of the weekend include outside hitter Candace Ceballos who recorded a .309 hitting percentage with 24 kills and 25 digs; outside hitter Trinity Gonzales who had a .271 hitting percentage with 19 kills and 21 digs; and middle blocker Jordyn Romano who contributed 17 kills and 13 total blocks.
The Mt. SAC Women's Volleyball Team will play their next game on Wednesday, August 28, at Santa Monica College.
Follow Mt. SAC Women's Volleyball on Twitter @MtSAC_WVB or Instagram /mtsacvolleyball/
Follow Mt. SAC Athletics on Twitter @MtSAC_athletics or Facebook @Mountie.Athletics
For additional information, please contact the Mt. SAC Sports Information Office at 909.274.4630.
